As You Like It – Fashion Front Row – May 29th 2012

All this week,Newcastle’s fantastic Fashion Week has been taking place in many venues around the city. On Tuesday night, taking a few of my own Darkus girls with me we went to Jesmond’s As You Like It, to watch what can only be described as a superb catwalk show.

All clothes being modelled were designed by some pretty imaginative, creative and talented people. What is even better is that they were all from the North East area – which shows that our region is just as good as anyone else. Coming to an event such as this was a good eye opener for me, as similar to when I go to a concert, it’s a good place for designers to have their fantastic work acknowledged and also acts as platform to get people talking.

Let me take you through the catwalk then. The first clothes line came fromStocktondesigner, Finnela. The dresses are both vibrant and elegant and each has its own personal touch. To open the night can be a rather stressful thing, but Finnela’s clothing line definitely set the standards high straight away.

Next we had Rock & Rose with their range of jewellery from their Spring and Summer collection. The material on show totally complemented the vintage look of the models – all dressed in simple but nevertheless stunning black and white colours.

Shauna Marie fromNewcastle followed Rock & Rose with her elegant and very colourful designs. What was even more fascinating was to be informed that she was a recent graduate so it brought a smile to my face to see a designer at the start of their journey with so much potential. I am excited just thinking about what other wonderful designs and creations she brings out.

Jennifer Lilly – wow where do I start with her collection. To say that her work is brilliant would be an absolute understatement. You can really see that a lot of thought has gone into her designs. Simple but at the same time providing a breath of fresh air. Similar to this, designers New Vestige fromNewcastleCollegehad also given their collection careful consideration as you could really see the creativity and imagination used in their designs.

Up to this point all the designers had impressed me, because they had each developed a unique concept and adapted it to the world of fashion. When the next designers work was presented on the catwalk the work seemed to be getting better and better. Boulevard Rouge presented us with a their 1940’s and 50’s inspired clothing. The concept they had here was to create a fusion of two worlds, in respects of creating a vintage look for the modern lady.

I should just point out that so far the clothes collection being modelled at the catwalk was female orientated so it was really good when Al’s Musiq Boutique unleashed their work. A collection aimed at the male market, the designs had a look about them that would make anyone wearing them feel very smooth. Each design also had its own character thus making each design being modelled individual.

It was not all about jewellery and clothes at Fashion Front Row, you cannot forget about people who like me are fond of hats. The Libertarians from Sedgefield left me literally speechless when I saw this collection. From looking at the designs you can see how the designer is thinking outside of the box with these fascinating designs. At first I would of said that my favourite from this collection was their Butterfly style hat – but then I thought scrap that, once I saw the lampshade hat. Honestly if I could define the perfect hat The Libertarians would take my predicament and blow my mind with their outstanding ideas.

One particular designer to watch out for is Christopher Nyaree. His Bridal wear and lingerie collection is cheeky but original. Bad Kitty Corsets who followed this are equally as amazing. The influence is somewhat a mixture of circus and noir, which I must say is really gorgeous.

The temperature was turned up a bit an extra notch when the Tallulah Love range was unleashed. The lingerie presented by this business was a combination of serious but naughty. You could tell that some of the models were loving this range as it allowed them after what must have been a tiring evening to unwind, have some fun and for a few let their cheeky side out.

It was getting late and sadly almost time for the show to come to an end. However there was room for just one more designer to show off her work, Emma Bell. Her designs had a lot going on – in a good way too. They were imaginative, wacky, and crazy but incredible too! I really liked this collection as it allowed me see into the mind of the designer.

Having been new to attending catwalks my Darkus girls and I had such a great night. It was such a delight to see such talent coming from our own area. In addition there was a variety of clothes ranged to suit any audience! Special acknowledgment should also go to the models too because together with the designers they helped to make this an evening where fashion came to life!